There are fewer riders more consistent at the top of the GP racing tree than Max Biaggi. The Italian and four times 250cc World Champion had a nightmare of a GP last weekend in Australia and finished out of the points in 17th place after an early race spill however the penultimate race of the season also marked his fifth top three finish in the premier class and fourth consecutively. The Honda man has claimed the Vice-Champion spot on three occasions (1998 with Honda, 2001 and 2002 with Yamaha) and completed the 2000 season third place in the overall standings. Biaggi has won 12 races in the 500cc/MotoGP category and has notched a win every season of his participation in the series starting in 1998; this year his has climbed on top of the podium twice and gained seven other podium positions. Apart from one DNF at the Sachsenring last Sunday was his worst result of the 2003 campaign: ?It is so disappointing when these kind of things happen, but it?s useless to get angry because it?s nobody?s fault,? said the 32 year old. ?I had a strong start from the second row and I was first out of the opening turn.

Soon after I drifted wide and I lost a few positions but I was fine, my rhythm was pretty good and I was preparing to fight with the guys in the leading group.? ?Then Bayliss crashed. I suddenly saw a heap of sand and pebbles, but there wasn?t the time to give it a second thought and my tyres got caught up in the dirt. I had to release the brakes and to go wide. Then I crashed in the grass made slippery by the rain. I rushed to my bike, jumped on and turned to see who was going to give me a push. There was nobody, all the marshals were running, appropriately, towards Bayliss. I pushed by myself but at that point I had lost so much time and the bike was so damaged that I could not recover enough to get some points. I nevertheless finished the race; it?s not my style to give up, but it was really a shame because for sure I could have scored a podium.